Screen-door catch.



J. L. ZESIGER.

SCREEN DOOR CATCH.

APPLICATION FILED ZN V 27 19 Batnted Jul L. ZESIGER, OF CLEVELAND,OI-IIO.

SCREEN-DOOR CATCH.

Specification of Iletters Vilatent. VPdjfglllcjed July 26, 1910.

application flied npveniber 27, ieee. serieu nd. refinar.`

To all whom 'it may concern;

Be it known that` I, Jol-IN L. Zrisronn, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofCuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Screen-Door Catches, and do declare that the `followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe saine.

My invention relates to screen door catches,

all. substantially as shown and descrbedand particularly pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the catchmounted on a door and in engaging position, and Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof showing the catch in disengaged position, the door anddoor casing being shown in section in both views. Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation lengthwise eorresponding to line -ag Fig. 1, the narrow sideof the casing being removed to disclose inner parts. Figs. 1 and `5 areviews looking in froin the bottom of the device and showing the lock forthe catch proper in two dif` ferent posit-ions as hereinafter described.

Fig. 6 is a perspective detail ofthe catch, and Fig. 7 is a perspectiveview of the bracket supporting the saine in the casing.

The invention as thus shown is simple in both construction and operationand is designed to provide a catch for screen doors particularly, thoughit may be used for other doors as well, because it is desirable to havea screen door respond to a direct pull or push so as to open as if itwere not inechanically engaged in any way and without usi-ng the hand torelease a catch, and the present catch answers this purpose while at thesame time it is also essentially a catch for the door which can belocked, as will hereinafter more fully appear. Thus, A represents thecasing containing the catch C and other parts and adapted to be aiiiXedto a door, gate or the like by screws as usual in like devices, andhaving certain novel details of construction including lugs 2 struckinward from its ends adapted as rests for spring S, and a slot -3- inits inner side through which the finger piece 4: of lock L for the catchprojects.

The essential novelty of the invention is found more especially in catchC, and the peculiarity and originality of said catch as coniparedwithallcthers with which I ani familiar involves a construction adapting`the saine to both swing and slide within liniits on a single set` of"side projections or pivots 8. Incident to these pivots is the curvedprojection 10 on `the engaging edge of `the `catch substantially inidwaybetween its ends Iand adapted `to `throw the catch back out ofengagement withfthe latch 14- onthe door casing when a push or pull ismade upon `the door to open it and thus automaticallyrelease `the catch,from said latch lll.

.Ie Weil `be eeeieeeleeee ieee eeeeeeeeeee occurs between Athe catch andlatch when the door is shut, but whenany one passes in or outa pull or a`push on the door springsthe catch black,the action being `first adirect pull on the catch and then instantly followilie' .e Sir-inebackward thereof by reason 0f curvedprojection 10 striking the end edge13 of the slot in the side of the casing through which the Catchprojects. Norinally said projection lies just inside against `said edgeas in Fig. 1, and when the door is the catch is disengaged from latchlei substantially as in Fig. 1, when the door opens.

The catch is supported by a bracket B which .llfls OPQEU bel'llgs OlfSlQtS b in its angle adapted to receive" the pivot projections 8` on thecatch, the catch lying between the sides of said bracket. The spring Sbears constantly against the inner end of the catcli which has aneccentric portion or projection 15 on which the catch turns when swungfrom engaging to disengaging position7 F ig. 1 to Fig. 2, and whichlifts the pivots 8 in slots Z) correspondingly.' When pressure isbrought against the door so as to exert pull on the catch suoli pull isfirst against spring S. As this occurs the curved projection 10 strikesthe end edge `13 of the slot 16 as above described and forcibly throwsthe catch back frein engagement with projection 1li, Fig. 1, toreleasing position, Fig. 2. Then the instant that the door is openedspring S asserts its control of the catch and throws the parts back tonormal position. The catch closes automatically by striking its curvedback 18 against projection 14e and springing into engagement therewithon the other side and holding` the door closed. The play of catch C, is,Jttherefore, automatic in both opening and closing the door I), and itspositions are the same relatively in both opening and closing, the onlydiierence being the point of operation.

Further details as to catch C are its depressions or recesses 2O in thesides thereof in which sliding lock L is adapted to engage by one of theside arms of its substantially T shaped projection 22 when the catch isto be locked back out of possible engaging position, Fig. 4. rIhe saidprojection 22 is also adapted to be placed at middle and edge directlyagainst the catch when it is to lock the catch in engaging position withthe latch by bearing directly against the same as in Fig. 5. Operationof said lock is from the inside of the door by projection 4 thereon anda spring 24 rictionally holds the said lock in adjusted position. rlhesaid lock,

Vfurthermore, is adjustable to engage either side of the catch in itsrecess 20 according to the position the catch occupies on a door.Suppose it be set vertically lengthwise. It is desirable in that case tohave the projection 22 set to work from below so that the lock will haveto lbe lifted to locking position and will not be in position togravitate or work to such position by jarring of the door. PracticallyYit is better to have it where it will work open rather than closed.Hence I have made the said lock adjustable so as to always have it belowwhichever end of the device is set above. Such adjustment is eectedthrough the spring 24 which carries finger projection 4 and whichprojection is adapted to slide in the slot Z in lock L as spring 24 isadjusted endwise to change `from one position to another and engaged insuch case with the corresponding lug d on the respective ends of saidlock. A hole is made in each end of spring 24 adapted to slide over andengage on said lug, as seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Friction between said lockL and the casing on the inside and by linger projection 4 on the outsideinduced by spring 24 holds the lock in any position to which it may bemoved.

What I claim is l. In door catches, a casing and a catch therein havinga single pair of pivots at its inner end and a spring bearing againstsaid end, a bracket in said casing provided with open slots for saidpivots, and said catch having a curved projection adapted to engage thesaid casing and cause the catch to swing on said pivots and slide insaid slots.

2. In door catches, a casing and a substantially right angled brackettherein having open slots in its angle, in combination with a catchengaged in said slots and having a curved inner extremity behind saidpivots and a reversely curved projection at its middle adapted to engagethe said casing, and a spring bearing against said curved innerextremity of the catch.

3. A door catch and a casing having a slot through which said catchprojects, a bracket fixed in said casing having the said catch slidablyand pivotally mounted therein upon a single pair of projections, aspring engaging the inner end oi said catch and Ysaid catch having acurved projection between its ends adapted to engage the said casingnext to said slot and cause the catch to swing on its pivot projections.

In testimony whereofl I sign this speciiication in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN L. ZESIGER. IVitnesses II. T. FISHER, E. M. FISHER.

